Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

Do you think the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays,more and more people are belive that university students should be required to spend part of thier degree studying in another country or gaaining parctical experience in workplace,in my opinion i belive that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages this essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this trend.

One major advantage is that studying abroad broadens students’ horizons and helps them become independent, this means that living in another country helps students learn about other cultures and become self-reliant for example a student who studies in Italy has to learn a new language, understand a different culture and organise daily life without family support. As a result, the student becomes more open-minded and self-reliant.

however, there are also some disadvantages. one major drawback is that studying abroad or doing a work placement is the high cost. This is because students have to pay for travel, accommodation and living expenses in a foreign country, which are often much higher than at home. For example, a student who studies in a large European city may need to pay hundreds of euros every month for rent alone. As a result, students from low-income families may be unable to take part, and this could make education less equal.

In conclusion , i belive that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because it prepares students for the job market and helps them become independent.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and you give relevant reasons on both sides. The discussion of independence and cultural awareness is supported by the example of a student in Italy, while the cost paragraph explains how expenses can disadvantage students from low-income families. However, the response only partly develops the task: the conclusion introduces preparation for the job market, but this benefit is not explained in the main body. The essay also does not clearly distinguish between studying abroad and completing a work placement. The response is 21 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop and support your ideas. Extend the discussion with a specific work-placement benefit and explain why the advantages outweigh the financial concern.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for an advantage and a disadvantage, and a conclusion. The examples generally follow the points they support, and phrases such as “For example” and “As a result” help show relationships between ideas. However, progression is somewhat mechanical, with similar cause-and-effect patterns in both body paragraphs. The introduction promises a discussion of both sides, but the conclusion adds a new point about job-market preparation rather than drawing together the ideas already developed. Improve cohesion by linking the body paragraphs more directly to your final judgement and by using clearer transitions between the claim, explanation, and example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “broaden students’ horizons,” “self-reliant,” “low-income families,” and “education less equal.” These expressions help communicate the main ideas, and the language is generally understandable. However, the range is limited, with repeated use of “student,” “helps,” and “major,” and several spelling errors are noticeable, such as “belive,” “thier,” “gaaining,” and “parctical.” Some phrasing is also imprecise: “the high cost” does not fit smoothly after “one major drawback is that,” and “in workplace” needs a more natural expression. Build a wider set of accurate collocations for education, employment, and financial barriers, and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a student who studies in Italy” and a conditional structure in “students … may be unable to take part.” These structures communicate your ideas, but control is inconsistent, and several sentences contain errors in punctuation and sentence boundaries. For example, the opening is a long run-on sentence, while “one major drawback is that studying abroad or doing a work placement is the high cost” has a faulty grammatical construction. Capitalisation is also inconsistent at the start of sentences, as in “however” and “i.” Use full stops to separate complete ideas, check subject–verb and clause structure, and practise combining sentences accurately rather than joining several points with commas.

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